The vice presidency

ACCORDING to the website of the Office of the Vice President (ovp[dot]gov[dot]ph), "the position of Vice President of the Philippines was formally created on Nov. 15, 1935, with the inauguration of the Commonwealth of the Philippines." This misconception is understandable because Philippine independence was declared in Kawit, Cavite, on June 12, 1898, and the Malolos Constitution was promulgated on Jan. 22, 1899. Conventional wisdom associates the status of Emilio Aguinaldo as the "first" president of the "first" Philippine Republic with Malolos, where — as the OVP website notes — the position of vice president was not present. Thus, the OVP traces back the origins of the vice presidency to the 1935 Constitution and Sergio Osmeña Sr. is recognized as the "first" vice president.

While Philippine independence was officially declared on June 12, 1898, it does not necessarily mean that was the first assertion of our independence. It is public knowledge that the secret organization Kataas-taasang Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Katipunan) sought to liberate the country from Spanish rule. However, that information is quite incomplete.